Marijuana possession should only be a civil offense

The American Civil Liberties Union reports that whites are arrested and obtain criminal records due to marijuana possession far less than blacks in Tennessee.

The state legislature is unlikely to decriminalize cannabis possession, but city councils can. They can pass laws that reduce the inequality. Many cities have done this by making simple possession of marijuana a civil offense - like a parking ticket - avoiding criminal convictions. Then criminal conviction of both races for simple marijuana possession would become the same: none.

In 2010, law enforcement agencies spent $42 million enforcing marijuana possession laws in Tennessee. That's money that could have been better spent.

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Marijuana possession should only be a civil offense

The American Civil Liberties Union reports that whites are arrested and obtain criminal records due to marijuana possession far less than blacks in Tennessee.